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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "DR JOE ARMSTRONG" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <revjames.carlos5@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 07:44:02 -0800
Subject: Scam Compensation Payment of $5.5Million In Your Favour

FROM;DR JOE ARMSTRONG
ECO FINANCIAL HOUSE/UNITED NATIONS 2010
Tel: +234-70933 16428
 
 
Attn: Beneficiary,
 
This is to bring to your notice that the Central Of Nigeria has delegated Union Bank Plc in conjunction with the United Nations to pay 100 Nigerian 419 scam victims $5.5Millioneach, You are listed and approved for this payment as one of the scammed victims, get back to me as soon as possible for the immediate payments ofyour five Million us dollars compensations funds.
 
On this faithful recommendations want you to know that during the last UN meetings held at Abuja , Nigeria . It was alarmed so much by the rest of the world in the meeting regarding the lose of funds by various foreigners to the scams artists operating in syndicates all over the world today, in other to retain the good image of the country,
 
The Federal Government is now paying 100 victims of this operators$ 5.5MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND USD each through the mentioned bank Union Bank Plc The payments are to be paid by Federal Reserve Account Unit, corresponding paying bank under funding assistance by the Union Bank Plc
 
According to the number of applicants at hand,84 beneficiaries has been paid,half of the victims are from the United States, we still have more 16 left to be paid the compensations of$5.5Million Each. Your particulars was mentioned by one of the syndicates who was arrested in Lagos Nigeria as one of their victims of the operations, you are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to any body for any reason what so ever, the US secret service is already on trace of the criminals.
 
You are to receive your compensations payments via any of the below listed options:
(1) THROUGH DIPLOMATIC HOME CASH DELIVERY.
(2) THROUGH ATM SWIFT MASTER PAYMENT.
 
Let us know the choice options mentioned above you require to be paid, we shall feed you with further modalities as soon as we hear from you.
 
All further correspondence should be forwarded to this office such as your full name, contact address and direct telephone number for easy communication between us.
 
We use this medium on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to apologize for the inconveniences this might have caused you in the past.
 
I shall feed you with further modalities as soon as I hear from you. All further correspondence should be forwarded to the contact person Rev James Carlos on the above email address.
 
Yours faithfully,
Joe Armstrong
 
 

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